Pneumatic tread for boots and shoes.



No. 850,327. PATENTED APR. 16, 1901.

' LTAUBER.

PNEUMATIC TREAD FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1906.

W jfneqwes 17': van?" PNEUMATIC TREAD FQf-I BOOTS AND sH'oEs;

Specification of Letters Patent. I Application filed November 16, 1906-Serial No. 343,707.

isatenteol April 16, 1907'.

To (Ill/1.071107% it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, ISIDOR TAUBER, a subject of the Emperor ofAustria-Hungary,-residing at Vienna, Austria Hungary, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Treads for Boots orShoes, of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to 'a pneumatic tread for boots or shoesconsisting of two separate air-cushions, each provided with a flexi bletube and valve, so that the cushion, which lies under the sole of thefoot, may be less inflated, and therefore less elastic, than the cushionwhich lies under the heel, as is necessary for satisfactory walkingwithout producing weariness. The air-Cushionsare preferably connectedtogether by a piece of fabric.

In order to introduce this treadintothe shoe or boot, the heel must havea cavity which may accommodate the valves and tubes of the air-cushions,so that these valves and tubes may. not bein the way of the wearen Thiscavity, whichis in communication with the interior of theshoe or with acavity between the sole and the inner sole adapted to receive thepneumatic tread and is covered by a flexible extension of the sole, mustbe accessible. For this purpose the heel is made in two parts, one ofwhich is con nected with the sole and contains the cavity forreceptionof the tubes and valve, while the other is movably connected with thefirst and can be opened.

The accompanying form of the invention. I

Figure 1 is aplan, and Fig. 2 a side elevation, of the pneumatic tread.Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a shoe containing the tread, the openposition of the movable part of the heel being shown in dotted lines.Fig.

drawings show one 4 is an under side plan of the heel drawnto anenlarged scale, the movable part' of the heel being fully open.implement used in introducing the tread into illustrated in Fig. 2. r

The tread mayeither be laid upon the inner sole 6 or, as shown, beinserted into a cavity 0, provided for the urpose between the sole 0.and the inner so e b. consists of a sole-cushion (I, having a flexibletube e,,and a heel-cushion f, having a flexlble tube g. Each of thesetubes has an inflatingvalve h of lmown kind. The two cushions arepreferably connected by a piece of .the cavity of the sole, itsapplication being eather and of a similarly-shaped plate g, proand anotchpw for conveniently introducing Fig. 5 is a plan of the part Thetread foot. The flexible tube 6 is connected with 3 this fabric'i andextends through the opening j of the ring-shaped heel-cushion f inorde1' that its end may be accommodated, together with the tube g of theheel-cushion, in the cavity of the heel.

The heelis made of. two p arts an upper part Z, which is rigidlyconnected with the sole, has an opening 7c, and is rovided with a framem, screwed to it, and aving a down- Wardly-extending rim n, and a'lowerpart 10, T which turns on a hinge 0, fixed to the upper part, andconsists of one or more pieces of vided with an upwardly-extending 11m.71.

These artsl and p are. normally held together y acatch t, which slidesin one of them under ressure of spring 8 and engages a hook rig-fixed tomake thelo ening 7c accessible; In order that the. trea gmayf notshiftrand may not foot in walking, a part c of the sole extends over theheel-cavity and has a perforation w the'ends ofthe flexible tubes. Thispart isourved at the sides," so that the opening is may be freeinintroduoing or removing the tread. o I

In order that the-=sole-cushion (1- may not be too strongly inflatedthat is to say, may have a comparatively flat form-at is subdividedbyquilted seams, such as d into several parts in communication with eachother.v 95

tread is still deflatedthe end'of aflat blade I At the toe end of thetread is a pocket 1 of, rubber, leather, linen, or thelike. While'the'.2, Fig. 5, is inserted into this pocket, andv with the aid of thisblade the tread is pushed into the cavit 0 through the opening 70 whenthe of some easily-removed material, such as paraflin;

. I claimfabric i, which lies under the instep of the I in the'otherpart. By pressing f 1 this catch from-outside the heel the two parts canbe disengaged and, the lower part opened protrude'i-ntoithe cavity ofthe heel and the valves may not'incon'v'enience-the heel of the IOO I lo the heelfhas beenop'enedJ After the b ade has been withdrawn the'treadis in- 1. A boot .01 Shoe having-a pneumatic tread comprising separatedsoleand insole thereby forming between them a recess, a

pneumatic cushion inserted between the sole and insole in the forwardpart of the shoe, a second pneumatic cushion inserted between the insoleand the heel-seat, fluid supply connections for said cushions, a hollowhinged heel member havin a recess therein adapted to receive said supply connections and means for securing said heel member in place on theboot.

' 2.- A boot or shoe with a pneumatic tread,

I comprising separated sole and insole thereby comprising separated soleand insole thereby forming between them a recess arranged to receive aseparate pneumatic cushion in the forward and the heel section of theshoe, said recess at the heel-section having an aperture extendingoutward, a heel consisting of an upper section connected with the soleandhaving a recess therein and anopening connected with the recessformed between the heelseat of the sole and the insole, and a hollowlower heel-section arranged to be detachably connected with the uppersection and having a space therein to receive pneumatic connections forsupplying air to the cushions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ISIDOR TAUBER.

Witnesses:

JOSEF RUBARsoHz, ALVESTO S. HOGUE.

